Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Get a Little Muddy

It was a dreary day outside, but that didn’t dampen these dogs’ spirits! A little bit of playing in the mud never hurt anybody (even though I now have a muddy paw print on the toe of each shoe).

Buddy the two-year-old Boxer mix was incredibly excited when I came up to him with the leash. This guy has been catching my eye every time I’ve visited Orphans of the Storm® because he just looks so friendly and happy. You can’t help but smile when you see him.

Buddy, someone’s future buddy!

Buddy and I went to one of the runs, and the other run was occupied by Bubba. Buddy and Bubba met each other at the fence and did a little sniffing, and then Buddy meandered around the run. After Bubba left, a group of three dogs and two humans came to the run. One of the humans said that she was very interested in Buddy because he’s so cute.

Buddy saying hello to another dog

His light brown eyes match his fur almost perfectly, giving him a unique (and adorable) look. He can be pretty strong, and likes to go in his own direction, but he is capable of being a good listener.

Buddy in the rain

Rocky the three-year-old Labrador Retriever/Pit Bull Terrier mix is a complete lovebug. When I first took him out of his kennel, he jumped straight up and our noses met. After that one brief moment of excitement, though, he was as cool as a cucumber. He didn’t pull on the leash on the way to the run, and didn’t jump up again.

Rocky saying hello!

Rocky definitely inherited the Lab personality traits. He kept trotting over to stand next to me so I could pet him. He particularly likes being scratched on the side of his neck. At one point, he jumped onto the bench and took a seat. It was almost too cute to handle.

Rocky on the bench

I went over to pet him and he kept looking up at me with those warm brown eyes as if to say, “Look at what a good dog I am!” I, of course, told him repeatedly that he is indeed an excellent dog. Such a sweetie!

Rocky right before he sat down

Akiva is a beautiful seven-year-old Husky mix. She hasn’t been at the shelter for very long, and I expect that she will be adopted very soon with her looks and personality.

I almost didn’t want to take Akiva out in the rain and get her beautiful fur all muddy…

Like many Huskies, Akiva has stunning bluish-gray eyes. Her thick, fluffy fur is varying shades of white, gray, and black, and shimmers as she moves. Her perked ears are mostly white, but have black tips.

Akiva turned her head just before I could get a picture of her eyes

She walked extremely well on the leash, so after spending some time hanging out inside the run, I decided to talk her on a walk around the property. She seemed to enjoy this more, and we had a good time on our stroll in the drizzle.

Please note: Orphans of the Storm® has extended hours all through December to share the holiday spirit! This month, the shelter will be open from 11am-8pm Thursdays-Sundays. If you want to get to know your new best friend with festive music in the background, you can stop by Thursdays-Saturdays from 6pm-7pm and Sundays from 2pm-3pm for the live music hour. Human food and drink available!

Hi Amy! I am enjoying these posts very much and am grateful that you are helping to get all the awesome dogs at Orphans homes! My husband and I walk dogs there and have adopted two. We were wondering if you could feature Tyson in cage #57 sometime. He is a great dog!

Amy, thanks for all you are doing for the oprhans! I keep looking for Izz;y to get adopted but he is still there. Thanks for featuring him with Duvall.
I looked in to adopting him about months ago, but was told by a volunteer that he bites, so if that is not true, please let me know. I think about him often. Any feedback would be helpful. Thank you

From the short time I spent with Izzy, I think that he has real potential to be a wonderful pet. The staff member that I spoke to said that he’s a little wary with strangers but after a day in a new home, he should settle right in. I didn’t hear anything about Izzy having a bite record, but the staff member told me that Duvall had bitten before – for protective reasons, not aggression.
If you’re still interested in Izzy, I would highly recommend going back for another look and spend some more time with him so you can see how you two get along. I would also ask one of the staff or volunteers to get out his record to verify if there have been any instances with biting.
Or, if the ‘he’ you were referring to was Duvall, I would again recommend talking to one of the staff there to get more information on his history. He didn’t show any inclination to bite or even growl when I was with him, but it’s good to get as much information as possible and definitely spend some time with any dog before making the decision to adopt. We want every new home for these dogs to be a forever home!

[…] If you’ve been to Orphans of the Storm® before, then you definitely know Akiva, the beautiful seven-year-old Husky mix. This was her kind of weather, so I thought it would be the perfect day to take her out again. In fact, if she could talk, I bet she would’ve said, “You call this snow? Please. This is just a dusting!” Akiva is a gentle dog who walks wonderfully on a leash. She still has a playful side, though–I would throw a snowball in the air above her and she would jump up and try to catch it. It usually broke apart in midair, though, and showered down on her fluffy fur. She loved it. She would love even more to be adopted by a loving family! You can read more about my first visit with Akiva here. […]

[…] Cherry, being a Husky, would do best with a big, fenced-in yard and/or an active family who can keep up with her energy. She walked well on the leash, but sometimes got excited and would jump straight into the air, all four paws off the ground (hence the needed fence). Huskies are athletes, and Cherry is no exception! Once she’s run off her energy, though, Cherry is an excellent cuddle buddy who enjoys a good bellyrub. If you’re thinking about welcoming a Husky into your home, come in soon to meet Cherry (or Gilly, or Akiva)! […]

[…] you visited the dogs at Orphans of the Storm® any time in the last few years, you probably met Rocky the Labrador Retriever mix (who just so happens to be featured on the banner image of this blog!). […]

[…] of note: Akiva is the most popular dog on this blog! Her post (Orphans of the Storm® Dogs Get a Little Muddy) is the most-viewed post, and her picture is the most-viewed picture–understandably, because […]

Thank you for the work you do! Akiva has been at the shelter for at least two years, which is how long I’ve been volunteering there… I’m not sure exactly how long she had been there before I started, though.

It isn’t constant, but she does have urinary incontinence, so her future owners would probably prefer to keep her in a doggy diaper to avoid accidents in the house (which isn’t that uncommon, especially with older dogs).

[…] kisses as I tried to put on her leash), Trixie (who loves tennis balls just as much as before), Akiva (who wants a yard of her own so she can romp in the snow to her heart’s content), Topaz (who […]

[…] yard, winter or summer), Ebbie (who is looking for a nice, quiet place to enjoy her golden years), Akiva (who was built for a winter like the one we’re having right now!), Lucky (who greets the […]

[…] get the chance to meet Tyler, the first Orphans dog to go through Tops Kennel, I certainly did know Buddy, who was happily adopted after his stay at Tops. Peggy, who graduated from Tops Kennel last year […]

[…] camp and now knows how to heel perfectly and sits whenever the person walking him stops moving), Akiva (who gets along with everybody), Lady (who is another senior dog like Cody who just needs a nice […]

[…] Akiva the ten-year-old Husky mix has been one of the prettiest dogs at the shelter since she arrived several years ago. I thought she would have been adopted in a heartbeat, but an incontinence condition has kept people from seriously considering her. Dogs like Akiva are the reason they created doggy diapers, though! The best time I had Akiva was last winter. She had a great time playing in the snow (of course, being a Husky) and loved trying to catch snowballs in midair. You can have fun with her all year round if you bring her home! […]